TEMPERAMENT, SELECTED MODERATING VARIABLES AND EARLY READING-ACHIEVEMENT

This study of 397 children provides qualified support for die work of Martin and colleagues in that kindergarten measures of negative emotio nality and activity level were correlated with Grade 1 reading measure s. The amount of reading achievement variance accounted for by tempera ment was less than that reported by Martin, however. Our analyses, nev ertheless, revealed that persistence plays a significant role in accou nting for reading progress. However, intelligence was found to be a mo derator variable between persistence and reading achievement. For chil dren with lower intelligence only, persistence significantly predicted reading achievement, the correlation being positive. Using growth cur ve analysis, we also found that persistence measured in kindergarten w as a significant predictor of the growth rate of reading ability for c hildren from kindergarten through third grade. The implications of the se results for school psychological assessment processes, classroom in struction, and primary prevention are discussed. (C) 1998 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.